Uber drivers rely on this simple accessory that’ll help you drive safer

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You shouldn’t use your phone while driving, but it’s 2016, so you’re probably doing it anyway. If the threat of oncoming traffic isn’t enough to stop you from checking your texts on the road, the least you could do is make the process safer. A good smartphone car mount can help you out.

You may have seen one of these on your last Uber or Lyft ride. There are a few variants out there, but they all perform the same basic function: They attach to your dashboard and hold your phone in place, allowing you to make hands-free calls and texts, quickly control your music, or check a GPS navigation app without having to fiddle with your handset. More smarts, less death. It doesn’t hurt that they’re usually cheap, too.

The Aukey HD-C5, for instance, should do the job for most. It’s one of the many mounts that uses magnets to keep your phone secure, making it totally wireless. You simply stick one of the two included metal plates to the back of your phone (or place it in your phone’s case), snap the mount onto an air vent, and let physics do its thing. This particular model has a 4.3 rating on Amazon after nearly 700 user reviews, and it’s received praise from Lifehacker in the past.

Now, while this is a fairly basic accessory, there are still a few things to keep in mind. The magnetic setup should be enough to hold most devices, but the thicker your case, and the heavier your phone, the more risk of disconnection there’ll be. Your mileage always may vary with these things. Aukey also advertises the mount as capable of doubling as a stand, but it’s not exactly made from premium materials, so detaching it too often may wear it down over time. Wireless charging is off the table here, too.

The fact that this uses air vents makes cooling your phone fairly straightforward, but dashboards aren’t identical, so it may not be the most convenient tool for your setup. If that’s the case, you may be better off with a CD slot holder, such as the Wirecutter-recommended TechMatte MagGrip.

For most, though, the HD-C5 should make your daily drives a little more convenient. Again, it’s far from the only one of its kind, but today you can grab it for $9.

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